Section 2506. Obstetric and pediatric practitioner incentive demonstration program

1. There is hereby established in the department the obstetric
  and pediatric practitioner incentive demonstration program,  to  provide
  financial  support  for  obstetric  practitioners providing prenatal and
  obstetric  services  to  medically  needy   women   and   to   pediatric
  practitioners  serving children up to one year of age, to assist them in
  paying for professional liability insurance coverage  related  to  those
  services, within amounts appropriated for that purpose.
    2.  As  used  in  this  section,  the  following  terms shall have the
  following meanings:
    (a) "Obstetric practitioner". A physician who is board certified or an
  active candidate for board certification in obstetrics, a physician  who
  is  board  certified,  or  eligible  for  board certification, in family
  practice and provides obstetric services, a certified nurse midwife,  or
  an obstetric nurse practitioner.
    (b) "Pediatric  practitioner".  A physician who is board certified, or
  eligible for board certification, in pediatrics  or  a  pediatric  nurse
  practitioner.
    (c) "Prenatal  and  obstetric  services  to medically needy women" and
  "pediatric services for children up to one year of  age".  Prenatal  and
  obstetric  services provided by an obstetric practitioner, and pediatric
  services for children up to one year of age, in  private  individual  or
  group  practice,  or  comprehensive  diagnostic  and  treatment  centers
  pursuant to article twenty-eight of this chapter, to women and  children
  (i)  through  the  prenatal  care  assistance  program,  or  the medical
  assistance program under the social services  law;  or  (ii)  through  a
  program approved by the commissioner under this section, under which the
  services  are  provided without remuneration to the practitioner for his
  or her services; or (iii) who are not  covered  for  these  services  by
  subparagraph (i) of this paragraph or by private health insurance.
    3.  The  commissioner  is  authorized  to  contract with obstetric and
  pediatric practitioners to provide financial support for the costs  they
  bear  for their professional liability insurance coverage, to the extent
  that the cost is reasonably related or proportional  to  the  amount  of
  prenatal  and  obstetric and pediatric services to medically needy women
  and children up  to  one  year  of  age  the  practitioner  provides  in
  proportion  to  the  total  amount  of prenatal, obstetric and pediatric
  services the practitioner provides.
    4. Prenatal and obstetric services and pediatric services for children
  up to one year of age provided without remuneration to  the  obstetrical
  or  pediatric  practitioner,  for the purposes of this section, shall be
  provided as part of a program administered by  a  general  hospital  (as
  defined  in  article  twenty-eight  of this chapter) or a city or county
  health department, approved by the commissioner.
    5.  The  commissioner  shall  establish  regulations,  standards   and
  procedures  for  the  obstetric  and  pediatric  practitioner  incentive
  demonstration program, including but not limited to  quality  assurance,
  the   services  to  be  provided,  and  the  provision  or  records  and
  information by obstetric and pediatric  practitioners  applying  for  or
  receiving support under this section.
    6.  In  making  contracts  under  this section, the commissioner shall
  consider the extent to which the support  will  increase,  maintain  and
  improve the accessibility and quality of prenatal and obstetric services
  to  medically  needy  women and pediatric services to children up to one
  year of age, and shall assure that  support  is  reasonably  distributed
  geographically throughout urban and rural areas of the state.
    7.  On  or  before  February  first,  nineteen hundred ninety-two, the
  commissioner shall submit to the governor and the chairs of the assembly

  and  senate  committees  on  health  a  report  on  the  operation   and
  effectiveness  of  the  obstetric  and  pediatric practitioner incentive
  demonstration program, including any  recommendations  the  commissioner
  deems appropriate.